The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program offers high school students opportunities to explore The Met and learn about museum practices
(New York, April 30, 2024)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Housing Community Fund, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and Trinity Church Wall Street announced today the establishment of The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program, a new initiative that brings 25 public housing scholars to The Met for a leadership development program. The newly launched collaboration invites high school aged residents of NYCHA communities to The Met to explore career pathways in art, culture, and museums. As with all intern opportunities at the Museum, participants receive a stipend.
The program is a partnership supported by NYCHA, The Met, and the Public Housing Community Fund. The free program is made possible by Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies.
“From sitting on the Supreme Court, and serving as members of Congress, to becoming hip-hop legends and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies — many of our most notable New Yorkers grew up in public housing,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Through The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars, we’re fostering the next generation of NYCHA residents to lead the way and develop careers in the arts, culture, and museums of tomorrow. Sometimes all it takes to achieve your dreams is an opportunity to do so, and that is exactly what this administration, and this collaborative program, is about — ensuring all New Yorkers have the opportunities they need and deserve to succeed.”
“The Met is thrilled to partner with colleagues at NYCHA to develop this impactful new program,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “The Museum is committed to enabling greater inclusivity and access to our expansive and multidisciplined educational and engagement offerings, and we’re excited to welcome and exchange ideas with these new scholars.”
“The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program is an innovative partnership to develop leadership skills amongst our young NYCHA residents by introducing them to the passion, discipline, and professional skills required for a career in arts, culture, and museums,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “I thank the Public Housing Community Fund, the Met, NYCHA, and Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies for ensuring our youth in public housing will have the opportunity for behind-the-scenes access to one of New York City’s greatest cultural offerings.”
“I’m thrilled to see the Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program kick off and connect young NYCHA residents to career opportunities and leadership development in the arts,” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “We know very well that ‘if you can see it, you can be it’ and this partnership between the Public Housing Community Fund, The Met, and NYCHA, made possible through Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies, is making sure NYCHA’s youth have real opportunities to see what the future can hold for them, and build a path for getting there with the support of their communities.”
“Art and culture are a part of who we are as New Yorkers, and we need to make sure that everyone has the opportunity both to experience culture firsthand, and to access rewarding career paths that the sector provides—something this exciting new employment pipeline will help us to achieve,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “We applaud The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Housing Community Fund, and New York City Housing Authority on this exciting new internship program for high school seniors, which will give these amazing young people firsthand experience in one of the world's great museums, while giving The Met access to an incredible pool of talent. I had one of my earliest internships at The Met, and I can't wait to see what doors this opens for the next generation of cultural leaders.”
“I love the chance to connect young NYCHA residents with new career pathways, particularly when the arts are involved,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program — a tremendous partnership with The Met and the Public Housing Community Fund — will provide high-school-aged students from NYCHA developments across New York City with an invaluable opportunity not only for an interesting paid internship, but a chance to truly engage with art and culture from across the globe. We are incredibly grateful to our partners in this venture, and we look forward to helping to usher in the next generation of artists and art lovers.”
“The Public Housing Community Fund is deeply committed to creating opportunities for young people in NYCHA communities to explore their passions, higher education opportunities and career pathways,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program is a new initiative that introduces high school students to the world of art, museums, and culture, and empowers them to see themselves as future leaders in these fields. This inaugural cohort is exploring artivism and drawing parallels between the rich art and culture found in public housing communities with collections at The Met, and seeing how art can be used as a form of activism and change. We’re grateful to The Met and Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies for their partnership in making this program a reality.”
“The Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program is an example of the good created when iconic New York City institutions work together,” said Bea de la Torre, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Trinity Church Wall Street. “Trinity is committed to the young people of New York City, from providing programs on-site at Trinity Commons to funding programs that keep youth safe and housed. We look forward to seeing what the first cohort of scholars learns from and teaches the professionals around them.”
Through the paid internship, students meet with professionals in the fields of museum and the arts across departments including art restoration, Conservation and Scientific Research, and curation. The internship allows students to connect with creative professionals to gain work experience and develop professional skills, interacting with many departments across the Museum. The curriculum also includes guest speakers, field trips, and a deep dive into some of The Met’s exhibitions and its permanent collection. The first cohort of the program started earlier this year; their internship will culminate in a final project to be held as part of Teens Take The Met! in May 2024, which will examine “artivism,” or how the arts and activism connect in New York City and the role of art in their own lives. A graduation ceremony in June will mark the completion of the program and celebrate the achievements of the participants.
About The Met’s Education Department
The Met’s Education Department is central to the Museum’s mission to engage local and global audiences, making our collection accessible to all. In the last year alone, the Museum welcomed 5.8 million visitors from around the world, including 2.2 million visitors from across the five boroughs and New York state and more than 150,000 K-12 students—with nearly 60,000 coming from New York City schools. The Met’s currently presents more than 29,000 educational events and programs throughout the year, including workshops, art-making experiences, specialized tours, fellowships supporting leading scholarship and research, access programs for visitors with disabilities, K-12 educator programs that train teachers to integrate art into core curricula across disciplines, and school tours and programs that spark deep learning and lifelong relationships with and through art. The Met’s robust high school and college internship programs promote career accessibility and diversity, and host nearly 200 students each year and offer mentorship and professional experience in over 40 departmental areas throughout the Museum, including administration, curatorial, conservation, and education.
About The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met presents art from around the world and across time for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
About New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 528,105 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
About the Public Housing Community Fund
The Fund for Public Housing, Inc., d/b/a Public Housing Community Fund, was founded as a nonprofit (501c3) organization in 2016, to support the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents. The Fund creates and leverages resources and relationships to enhance the opportunities and quality of life for NYCHA residents, while uplifting the importance of public housing to our city. The Fund aims is to engage people and partners to build a stronger, more equitable New York City by investing in public housing communities. We invest in programs focused on leadership development, financial empowerment, community health, and workforce training for residents of the NYCHA community.
About Trinity Church Wall Street
Trinity Church Wall Street is a vibrant and growing Episcopal parish of more than 1,600 members. Over the past 325 years, Trinity has been guided by its mission to share God’s love for all people. Trinity’s programs seek to offer shared encounters with the holy, to cultivate compassion, to deepen knowledge and spiritual practices, to work for justice rooted in essential human dignity, to provide places of solace and healing, and to inspire a desire in all people to be conscientious contributors to the life of New York City and the world. More than 20 worship services are offered every week, online and at historic Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel, the cornerstones of the parish’s community life, worship, and mission.
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April 30, 2024
Contact:
Communications@metmuseum.org
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